Billfold



L. L. GARDNER Nov. 2.3, 1943.

lBILLFOLD Filed July 1l ,I 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 23, 1943.

L. L. GARDNER BILLFOLD Filed July 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,335,051 eiLLFoLn Leah L fGardner, University City, Mo. application July 11, 1941, Serial No. 401,903

l Claim.

This invention relates to bill folds.

The invention is shown embodied in an elongated bill fold foldable transversely midway of its ends between the adjacent inner ends of relatively short inner pocket walls. The enclosure, constituting a part of the present invention, is detachably secured to one of the relatively short pocket walls and preferably extends to the end of the bill fold, although it may be secured to the short pocket wall in other positions if preferred. 1

Objects of the invention are to provide an enclosure in the nature of an identification card case or coin purse adapted to receive and retain cards and coins or other articles, and having a width no greater than the width of the bill fold and a length no greater than one-half the length of the bill fold so that the bill fold may be folded transversely along the usual fold line midway between its ends to cover and enclose the enclosure when the latter is attached to the bill fold; to provide means for detachably securing the enclosure to an exposed short pocket wall in a relationship in which the enclosure is within the bill fold when the latter is folded; and to provide a tab in connection with the concealed wall of the enclosure arranged to fold against the exposed wall thereof and to be detachably secured thereto to prevent the contents of the enclosure from working out or becoming lost.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for securing the enclosure to a short pocket wall of the bill fold in a manner to strengthen and reinforce the saine and to resist undesired crumpling and bending of the bill fold.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a folded bill fold having the present invention included therein.

Fig. 2 is an inner side elevation of the bill fold showing an enclosure element of the present invention attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is an inner side elevation of one end portion of the bill fold showing the fastener elements attached to the short pocket wall.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation oi an enclosure element included in the present invention.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the enclosure device shown in Fig. Ll.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line 6-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line 'i-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a folded bill fold of a different type from that shown in Fig. 2 and (Cl. 15G-35) having a coin purse detachably secured thereto.

Fig. 9 is an inner side elevation of the bill fold of Fig. 8, showing a coin purse attached thereto.

Fig. l0 is an inner side elevation of one end portion of the bill fold of Fig. 9, showing the fastener elements attached to the short pocket wall.

Fig. ll is a side elevation of the coin purse detached from the bill fold.

Fig. l2 is an end elevation in open position.

The bill fold embodying the invention shown on sheet l of the drawings is made substantially the same as the bill fold proper disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,182,867. However, the present invention is not restricted to use in connection with that specic type of bill fold, and it is plain that the invention may be used in dierent types of bill folds.

The bill fold proper comprises an elongated outer wall I having attached thereto at one end relatively short pocket forming walls 2 and 3 terminating short of the transverse fold line 4 midway between the ends of the bill fold. If desired, similar short pocket forming walls may be attached` to the opposite end of the bill fold terminating short of the transverse fold line 4. In the speoinc type of bill fold shown, a tab 5 is integral with the lower longitudinal edge of the wall I and has an interlocking engagement 6 with the wall 2. As shown in Fig. 2, this arrangement is provided at each end of the bill fold. A panel l extends into the two short pockets and spans the space between them and cooperates with the inner walls of said short pockets to form an elongated pocket 8.

The enclosure device adapted to be detachably secured to the short pocket wall 2 comprises walls 9 and lil, preferably of equal length and width and integrally or otherwise connected along their lower edges by a flexible hinge I I. Between the walls 9 and Iii, one or more pairs of walls I2, I3, I4 and I5 are secured. While I have shown four pairs of these walls, it is apparent that the number of said walls may be increased or reduced as desired without departure from this invention. Further, it will be apparent that these enclosed walls may be omitted entirely if desired and a single wall i6 attached to one of the walls 9 or I il along its lower and end edges, leaving the upper edge unattached to said wall 9 or I9, thereby providing a pocket between the wall I6 and the wall 9 or I0 to which it is attached. Each pair of walls I3, I3, I4 and I5 are attached together along their end and lower longitudinal edges to provide a pocket Il between each pair of the coin purse tions of the invention are shown, there are similar short Walls 2 and 32 each having three edges thereof attached, respectively, to one end and to the lower longitudinal edge of both of said wall elements and to the upper longitudinal edge of the inner wall element only. The separate bendable enclosure device in each modication is a unitary member composed indispensably of a rear wall, a front wall, a iiexible hinge integrally connecting said rear and front walls along one edge thereof for swinging movements of said rear and front walls to and from superimposed position, and a tab having flexible hinge connection with the edge of said rear wall opposite from said hinge for swinging movements to and from su- .perimposed position against the exposed front surface of said front wall when said rear and front walls are superimposed. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, there is at least one pair of Walls I2 or i3 or lil or l5 attached to said hinge l! between said front and rear walls and have their end edges and one longitudinal edge attached together to form a pocket between said front and rear Walls and Wholly within the enclosure. In the specific form shown in Fig. 12, there are folding walls 39 connecting the ends of the front and rear walls of the enclosure, and providing a purse or receptacle open only at the top. In both forms there are fastener elements attached to the short wall and to the rear wall, respectively, for releasably engaging each other and thereby supporting the enclosure Wholly on the outer side of the short wall of the bill fold and also preventing displacement of said enclosure in any direction along said short wall of the bill fold both when the bill fold is folded and unfolded. Each enclosure has fastener elements attached to its front wall and its tab, respectively, for holding the tab against the front wall in position to close the enclosure; and in the embodiment of Fig. 5, the tab also closes the pocket that is attached to the hinge within the enclosure.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that this invention attains all of its intended objects and purposes efficiently and satisfactorily. It may be made and sold at permissible cost and varied in other particulars than those specically mentioned without departure from the nature and principle of the invention.

I claim:

In a bill fold having an elongated outer wall, wall elements attached to the ends and lower longitudinal edge of said outer wall and cooperating therewith to forni an elongated bill fold having a transverse fold line about midway of its ends, and a relatively short wall attached to one end and to the lower longitudinal edge oi said outer Wall and said wall elements and also attached to one of said wall elements along its upper edge only and forming one wall of a pocket closed along Vits upper and lower sides and outer end and having an open inner end adjacent to and toward said fold line; a fastener element attached to one margin of said short wall, another fastener attached to said short wall adjacent to an opposite margin, an enclosure comprising two Walls having flexible integral hinge connection along one edge and having a width about equal to the Width of said short wall, fastener elements attached to one wall only ci said two walls for engaging said rst named fastener elements and thereby holding said enclosure against said short Wall in a position in which the inner end of said enclosure is short of said fold line and in which said short wail entirely covers one side of said enclosure, leaving the bill fold free to fold transversely along said fold line and wholly enclose said enclosure between the folded portions of said bill fold, and detachable means on said two walls of said enclosure for holding the same fiatwise and closed as desired during the time that said enclosure is'attached to said bill fold.

LEAH L. GARDNER. 

